A question I get asked quite a lot … “What do Vegans eat?
So here’s the answer.
FOOD!
Check out this awesome array – and, I might add, the chocolate cake was to die for!!!
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The cat survived! And, her mum was so pleased to see her. In fact, she even commented on how her darling looked sooooo good. ….. Well Done Me!
Leaving the suburb of Pyes Pa I had a night free, so off I went to Katikati to stay with my dearest friend Caitlin. How great that was! Chilling out with great conversation and good food with her and her darling hubby – nothing could be sweeter.
But it came to an end the next afternoon when I left to get back to Tauranga and to start the next house-sit.
So, where am I? Geez it sounds like a Where’s Wally book! I’m now in Devonport road about two blocks from my favourite restaurant, Grindz – a cafe that serves my kinda food!! Definitely within walking distance. I can see that on my days off I’ll be trotting along there, with laptop underarm, to get my coffee fix and work on my book.
For those who don’t know Devonport road … this is the road that goes through the CBD shopping – kind of Tauranga’s version of The High Street. Although, nowadays, because of the malls that have been built, Devonport road is not as bustling as it once was.
The house has a beautiful outlook over the water, seems to get the winter sun nicely during the day, but sure is cold in the morning as the night air circulates around a fairly open plan living area. Still, it has such a lovely feel to it, there are no animals to look after and the owners are away for 10 weeks.
Finally, I have been able to unpack properly. The lady of the house kindly provided an empty closet in the room and empty scotch dresser … although, as you can see by the photo of my packed wagon above, I don’t have enough to fill it all. She thoughtfully also cleared a couple of shelves in the pantry so I don’t have to keep my “pantry” boxes in the kitchen as I normally do.
It probably all sounds very mundane to you, but trust me, it’s the little things that make my life easier!
Now it’s all hands on the computer. I really must get this next book finished. I’ve been asked to speak or do a cooking demo at a “Vegan Vibes” expo being held here in September and it would be excellent if I could have this book ready for sale. Might be pushing it a bit, but we can live in hope.
Haven’t totally committed to the cover of the book yet … your comments will be appreciated.
On that note – I will say adieu and get my focus reset.
I know I say that I am “vegan”, but in actual fact, I’m more vegetarian than a vegan.
But if I say that then the assumption is that I eat dairy and eggs. By definition, a vegetarian only eats plant foods, no animal products at all. Think about it – the word itself should give you a clue – vege-tarian …. vege as in vegetables – I don’t see “dairy” or “egg” anywhere in that word at all.
The problem is that the food industry has cosied up to the corporations and have indoctrinated the public into believing that a vegetarian is someone who eats plant foods, dairy products and eggs, hence the animal food industry still is able to make money from this ever-growing portion of the public.
Even the medical fraternity is on board with this, by declaring that one must have dairy in order to get the right supply of calcium – Doctors, who have never had a decent lesson in nutrition at all.
The word “vegan” is taken from the first three and last two letters of the word vegetarian. Being vegan is a lifestyle. One that is totally devoid of animal products. For example not wearing leather.
So even though I say I am vegan, my reason for eating a plant-based diet is first and foremost, the environment. Yes, I abhor animal exploitation in any form and I do choose products I know to have no animal content nor have they been tested on animals.
But, because my number one reason is the environment, I do recycle. Which means I do visit op-shops (thrift stores for my American friends), and I do purchase leather items. The reason is that leather is one of the hardest things to break down, and then, when it does, it is so full of chemicals that it contaminates the ground.
This is where I come into odds with Vegans. Vegans don’t wear leather at all as their argument is, (and I have to concede they have a point), it doesn’t matter if you have recycled it, wearing it still says to the world that you condone the use of leather.
What a quandary. But in a round-about way, this brings me to the title of this post. If you try and take on too much … it just messes with your head! Well, it does with mine. So out of all the BIG issues – environment, animal welfare, poverty, world hunger, world peace etc etc etc
I have chosen the Environment. My reason? Simple logic – if we don’t have an environment, we don’t have anything else.
I’ve just spent 5 weeks in the home at Papamoa and in that time I only needed to put the rubbish out once which was on the last day…and even then the bag was not full. The home I was in had a compost (in fact had both normal and worm farm types), had the recycle buckets for glass, plastic, paper and cans and the rest went into the council bag to be put out on the curb.
I’m also very realistic. I am fully aware that here in N.Z. our recycling efforts (paper, plastic, glass etc), are just a token gesture, most of the stuff goes to landfill or gets shipped offshore. We actually have a poor record of encouraging the recycling industry. But that is something I really don’t have control over. What I do have control of is what I can personally do for the environment.
Like:
- I re-use plastic bags (like bread bags) as often as I can … these odd plastic bags come with me to the supermarket and I put the fruit/veggies into them rather than get a new one.
- The bags for nuts I’ve recycled so many times it’s hard to find the space to write the number on as there are so many numbers now crossed out.
- Naturally, I have the canvas/jute reusable bags. Lucky for me I bought several of them in America, they’re big and sturdy and go through the wash like a pro.
- I compost where I can, use a garbage disposal unit (the one in a sink) or boil up my peelings which I freeze to use as stock/soup.
I don’t like to label myself an Environmentalist, nor a “Greenie” – I think those titles are reserved for the more wealthy who are able to go the whole hog, and the only reason I say I’m a vegan is so my food choice is understood in this warped society. I just live the best way I know how and try to “do my bit” for the environment that I am currently living in.
What do you put your energy into?
2021 Update
I now classify myself as vegan, although the environment is uppermost. My health has put me on a whole food plant-based way of eating. I do some activism with Anonymous for the Voiceless group. You can find more information about all things Vegan and Plant-based at my resource website: Gold Card Vegan
Funniest thing I’ve heard in awhile.
So any ideas what a Pegan might be? To give you a clue, other labels can include Pescetarian – those who only eat fish and no other animal – or Fruitarians who eat only raw fruit and seeds.
So a new label has come into being originating from Dr. Mark Hyman and it’s the joining of Paleo and Vegan diets.
Whoa! Didn’t think you’d be able to join those two together as I thought that Paleo needed meat, but apparently not. Go figure!
Vegan and Paleo are very similar as both focus on real, whole, fresh food that is sustainably raised.
- Both shun dairy.
- Paleos do not eat legumes or grains – Vegans do.
- Paleos do eat meat – Vegans don’t.
However, Dr Hyman suggests that for the grains, stick to small portions of low glycemic grains like black rice or quinoa.
Beans are great, but again, stick to small amounts – about 1 cup a day is ample – (more than I’d eat.)
Beans are great, but again, stick to small amounts – about 1 cup a day is ample – (more than I’d eat.)
Although he’s not against eating sustainably raised, clean meat, whereas vegans won’t touch it, he does concede that meat does put pressure on the planet, which it does.
He goes on to to say eggs no longer have the impact on cholesterol as once thought, so they’re fine. Again a no no for the Vegans and I will debate that about the cholesterol!!!
Then he adds that fish, even though you should worry about the mercury that is now abounding through all fish, eat fat rich fish such as sardines or wild salmon to get omega 3. He fails to tell you that for omega 3 you can get eat flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seed, mustard oil, seaweed, beans (mungo beans the best) and the list goes on.
Just as an aside: Wild rice should be a staple for all vegetarians and vegans. One cup cooked delivers lots of iron, protein, fiber, magnesium, zinc, and manganese. You’ll also get 156mg Omega 3 while only taking in 195mg of Omega 6.
Sorry, had to get that off my chest. Back to Dr Hyman.
He says
“…Looking at the research it is easy to get confused. Vegan diet studies show they help with weight loss, reverse diabetes and lower cholesterol. Paleo diets seem to do the same thing….”
From what I can glean from his ideas, he’s saying that a vegan diet is fabulous, but if you don’t want to go vegan then a little bit of Paleo added to it works too = Pegan.
All the above has been written from a dietary point of view only …. being vegan encompasses more than just diet and, even if you go vegan for health reasons, you’ll soon discover just how much the animals and planet are benefiting from your choice.
Personally I will stick with being vegan.
Laugh! Geez did I have a real “laugh out loud” moment when I read the headlines “NASA plans to farm greens on the moon” – are they saying that greens are far more important than cows or sheep or pigs…..????
No, I realise that’s not what they’re saying that at all – it will be easier to “farm” vegetables than farm animals. But I do find it very interesting that they hold the “greens” in such high esteem as to want to actually grow them on the moon (or in space). The reason being is that, according to this article: Tossed In Space the scientists are really working hard to make food from the new technology of 3D-printing.
I don’t have a problem with 3D-printing especially when it comes to tools etc that may be needed in space. But food? No, no, please don’t go there! I find this quite alarming especially for highly trained, fit and skilled astronauts – the last thing they need is cardboard food!!!
So here’s hoping they get the vegetables to grow …. then we can have Vegan astronauts – what wonderful role models they will be then!
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